Miguel
Oliveira
Portugal
·
MotoGP
Date of birth | 4 January 1995 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Pragal, Almada |
Age | 31 |
Nationality | Portugal |
Career start | 2005 |
Disciplines | MotoGP |
Miguel Oliveira shot to fame during an epic tussle for the Spanish title with Maverick Viñales in 2010, which he lost by just two points. But that season-long battle propelled him to the 125cc World Championship the following season, where he competed alongside his old rival Viñales.
Miguel then had four seasons in the Moto3 World Championship from 2012–15. His increasing confidence and experience eventually ended with an overall second place in 2015 that saw him realise his true potential and land a spot in Moto2.
A factory ride for new boys Mahindra was Miguel's reward in 2013, and he scored the Indian manufacturer's first GP podium and finished inside the top six overall. He remained with Mahindra in 2014 and again took a podium.
2015 saw Oliveria deliver a historic comeback after battling his way onto the podium from a 110-point deficit. After taking the race win with a superbly controlled performance at the last stop of the season in Valencia, Oliveria took second place overall, a mere six points behind 2015 World Champion Danny Kent.
It was then time for a new challenge for Miguel, who stepped up to Moto2. He adjusted well to the larger 600cc machinery. He scored three top-10 finishes, catching the attention of his former boss Ajo, for whom he'd ridden to the runner-up spot in the Moto3 class the previous season, and he's now riding a KTM to poles and podiums again.
The 2017 season was a fine one for Miguel, who achieved nine podium finishes (three of them wins) and finished overall third in the Moto2 world championship overall standings.
Miguel went one better in 2018 and earned 12 podium places to finish the season in second place overall. That impressive showing also secured him a promotion to MotoGP™ for 2019 with the new Red Bull KTM Tech 3 team. He gained valuable experience in motorcycle racing's premier class before ending his season a couple of rounds early to repair a shoulder problem.
Miguel claimed his maiden MotoGP™ win at the Red Bull Ring during the fifth round of the 2020 season and then closed out the campaign in style by securing victory on home soil in Portugal.
The Portuguese rider saw more success in 2021, while riding alongside former team-mate Brad Binder on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, securing victory at the Catalan GP. Two more victories would come in 2022, in Indonesia and Thailand, as Miguel ended the season in 10th place overall.
For the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Miguel raced for the new independent Aprilia RNF team, but struggled to make an impact as he finished the two seasons in 16th and 15th overall. The 2025 season was equally challenging as he finished in 20th overall while riding for Pramac Yamaha.
Choosing to make a fresh start for 2026, Miguel joined the BMW Motorrad factory team to compete in the World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK).